Disclaimers: Obviously, I don't own Fushigi Yuugi or it's characters, with
the exception of "the girl" who remains nameless for the moment. ^_~
Author's Notes: At first, I was thinking about doing a reincarnation fic, but then, I realized, it's been done. numerous times. So, I began thinking. What I came up with begins write below this author's note. It's new, something I'm not sure anyone has done before, and if I botch it up. well, then, I give you permission to crack my skull open with a ball-peen hammer, k?
???
The dream was always the same. He saw her, a girl of about 18, with long, straight silver hair that flowed to her waist. She was wearing a pair of black trousers, with a white men's shirt. A silver metal breast plate was over the shirt, quite form-fitting. Arm cuffs that extended to her elbows, as well as shin cuffs matched the armor. A heavy black cape that fell across her shoulders and down to the ground completed the outfit. His gaze shifted to her face, framed by that stunning hair, and fixed on her eyes. They were the color of the forest floor, a dark, glowing green. She had high cheekbones, a short, perfect nose, and full lips. The girl beckoned to him, held out her hand. The light caught something metallic and shiny in that hand. He reached out for it, and she dropped it into his palm. Upon examination, he saw that it was a necklace, a crystal of cerulean colored rock. It glowed with a power all its own, and remained cool in his hand even after holding it for several minutes.
He glanced from the rock to the girl and back again. A smile formed on the girl's face as she began to become transparent. Her body began to shimmer, to look much like a wave in the ocean. Then, the rock began to glow brighter. The light became so intense he had to look away. The girl was gone now; a seemingly floating pair of green eyes the only thing he could still see. He dropped the glowing rock, wanted to back away from it, but his feet remained planted on the ground. As it fell, it exploded, sending nearly microscopic flakes all over him. The moment they touched his skin, they were absorbed into it. He felt a surge of magic, a blue, powerful magic that bubbled in his veins like blood. And then, the girl was completely gone, and a sharp, stabbing pain went through him. He fell to his knees, clutched at his chest. The pain gave way to an unbearable sadness, and a sob escaped his throat. Tears poured down his cheeks, pooled on the ground beneath him.
Nakago woke up, his blonde hair plastered to his sweaty forehead and breath coming in gasps. He sat up, swung his legs over the side, and creased his eyebrows. It was the third night in a row that he'd had that dream, and it was beginning to make him angry. The worse part was the sadness that hit in the end when he knew she was gone. He didn't allow himself to feel sad anymore, much less enough to break down in tears. And to cry over some girl? Nakago cracked a smile. Surely the dream was nothing to worry over, possibly something planted by Tomo, or something that built up from stress.
Still. Nakago stood. The dream's all-too-real feeling bothered him. He began pacing, first to the door, then over to the window, then back to the door. He stopped at the window, glanced at the sky. The ever-so-slight lightening on the horizon told him it was nearly dawn. He gathered his bed robes around him, walked silently to the door, and left the few rooms that made up his bed chamber. Once outside, he found his favorite spot - he watched the sunrise often - overlooking the river that ran past the palace. As the velvety black gave way to a midnight blue and then a growing rose color, the blonde-haired shogun of Kutou took a few deep, cleansing breaths. It would be light out soon, when the peace of the palace that he reveled in so much would be shattered by the annoying and incessantly whining Miko, Yui.
His mind wandered back to the dream. That girl. he knew he had not seen her before, and yet, three times he had the same dream, with the same girl in it. It bothered him as well as aroused his curiosity.
The sky was now ablaze as the horizon burned a crimson red. He could see the very top of the sun as it began to push up, cast the dark and the stars away and make way for the amazing blue sky that perfectly matched his eyes. Nakago sensed stirring in the palace, found it best to make his way back to his bed chambers and put on his armor.
The palace had always felt constricting to him. It was the kind of environment that made it hard to breathe, hard to think, and hard to work in. Thank Seiryuu that being shogun meant he was rarely in the retched place. He was always being sent on some mission or other by the fat, slobbering, pig of an emperor. And now, being at war with Konan and racing to call Seiryuu, Nakago barely had to time to eat during the day.
"Nakago-sama."
He paused, turned to the page that cowered against the wall. "Hai?"
"Heika-sama wants to see you as soon as possible."
Nakago nodded, his only dismissal to the boy. He continued back to his rooms, changed clothes quickly, and walked to the throne room. The guards moved aside without question, allowing Nakago to enter.
The shogun dropped to one knee in front of the emperor. "Hai, heika-sama?"
The emperor of Kutou grinned down at Nakago. He dreadfully missed the presence of the teen-age boy that used to warm his bed every night, but he knew that Nakago's talents were better off being used as the commander of his army.
"I have a mission for you, Nakago. You will take the seishi, and go to Hokkan to retrieve the shinzaho from the Genbu temple."
Nakago nodded firmly. *Any chance to get away from you.* he thought. "We will leave at noon," he assured the emperor.
"Good," he said. "And, Nakago," he added. "Do not fail me. The Suzaku seishi and their miko are already on their way. I hope they will not prove to be a problem?"
Nakago shook his head. "Iie. I will deal with them accordingly."
"Very well." A slight wave of his hand, and Nakago knew he was to go. He rose from his position on the floor and left the throne room. He had much to do in the few hours before noon.
An image of the girl from the dream flashed into his head, but he shoved it into the back of his mind angrily.
???
"Nakago, why do we have to Hokkan? Didn't you tell me it's cold there?"
*Each time she speaks, I get a worse and worse headache,* he thought. "Yui- sama, we need to get the shinzaho so you can call Seiryuu."
Yui groaned. "Why do I have to call Seiryuu anyway? It's not like he's _MY_ god."
Nakago knelt in front of the priestess, covered her hand with his. "Yui- sama, all I want is for you to be happy. You want Tamahome, right? Calling Seiryuu is the only way to make him yours forever."
He watched in fascination as Yui's mood changed. "Do you really think it will work?"
"Hai, Yui-sama. We must not let the Suzaku shichiseishi obtain the shinzaho." He nearly smiled as Yui's brown eyes changed from blank and expressionless to sheer determination.
"You're right. We need to get it."
Nakago softened his face, pulled Yui into a hug. "All right. We're leaving at noon. I'll leave you to get ready."
He departed the miko's chambers, relieved to be away from the girl. Personally, Nakago could not stand to be around her. She always acted so helpless, and whined constantly that Miaka had Tamahome and she didn't. In fact, she whined about everything. It was so damned annoying having to be by her side at all times.
Nakago turned the corner, was greeted by Soi, who almost immediately attached herself to his arm. "Nakago, you left my room so early last night. Were you tired?"
"Soi, distance yourself from me. I have other matters to attend to before we leave."
The young girl backed away, a hurt expression on her face. "Nakago." she whispered.
He turned to her. "We're leaving in about an hour, Soi. Go make sure Tomo and Suboshi are ready. We've already wasted enough time."
Leaving without waiting for an answer, Nakago returned to his bed chambers to gather his maps. He picked up his saddle bag, checked to make sure his journal and ink supplies were in it, and packed a few extra clothes. He was outside loading his horse when the others showed up.
Author's Notes: At first, I was thinking about doing a reincarnation fic, but then, I realized, it's been done. numerous times. So, I began thinking. What I came up with begins write below this author's note. It's new, something I'm not sure anyone has done before, and if I botch it up. well, then, I give you permission to crack my skull open with a ball-peen hammer, k?
???
The dream was always the same. He saw her, a girl of about 18, with long, straight silver hair that flowed to her waist. She was wearing a pair of black trousers, with a white men's shirt. A silver metal breast plate was over the shirt, quite form-fitting. Arm cuffs that extended to her elbows, as well as shin cuffs matched the armor. A heavy black cape that fell across her shoulders and down to the ground completed the outfit. His gaze shifted to her face, framed by that stunning hair, and fixed on her eyes. They were the color of the forest floor, a dark, glowing green. She had high cheekbones, a short, perfect nose, and full lips. The girl beckoned to him, held out her hand. The light caught something metallic and shiny in that hand. He reached out for it, and she dropped it into his palm. Upon examination, he saw that it was a necklace, a crystal of cerulean colored rock. It glowed with a power all its own, and remained cool in his hand even after holding it for several minutes.
He glanced from the rock to the girl and back again. A smile formed on the girl's face as she began to become transparent. Her body began to shimmer, to look much like a wave in the ocean. Then, the rock began to glow brighter. The light became so intense he had to look away. The girl was gone now; a seemingly floating pair of green eyes the only thing he could still see. He dropped the glowing rock, wanted to back away from it, but his feet remained planted on the ground. As it fell, it exploded, sending nearly microscopic flakes all over him. The moment they touched his skin, they were absorbed into it. He felt a surge of magic, a blue, powerful magic that bubbled in his veins like blood. And then, the girl was completely gone, and a sharp, stabbing pain went through him. He fell to his knees, clutched at his chest. The pain gave way to an unbearable sadness, and a sob escaped his throat. Tears poured down his cheeks, pooled on the ground beneath him.
Nakago woke up, his blonde hair plastered to his sweaty forehead and breath coming in gasps. He sat up, swung his legs over the side, and creased his eyebrows. It was the third night in a row that he'd had that dream, and it was beginning to make him angry. The worse part was the sadness that hit in the end when he knew she was gone. He didn't allow himself to feel sad anymore, much less enough to break down in tears. And to cry over some girl? Nakago cracked a smile. Surely the dream was nothing to worry over, possibly something planted by Tomo, or something that built up from stress.
Still. Nakago stood. The dream's all-too-real feeling bothered him. He began pacing, first to the door, then over to the window, then back to the door. He stopped at the window, glanced at the sky. The ever-so-slight lightening on the horizon told him it was nearly dawn. He gathered his bed robes around him, walked silently to the door, and left the few rooms that made up his bed chamber. Once outside, he found his favorite spot - he watched the sunrise often - overlooking the river that ran past the palace. As the velvety black gave way to a midnight blue and then a growing rose color, the blonde-haired shogun of Kutou took a few deep, cleansing breaths. It would be light out soon, when the peace of the palace that he reveled in so much would be shattered by the annoying and incessantly whining Miko, Yui.
His mind wandered back to the dream. That girl. he knew he had not seen her before, and yet, three times he had the same dream, with the same girl in it. It bothered him as well as aroused his curiosity.
The sky was now ablaze as the horizon burned a crimson red. He could see the very top of the sun as it began to push up, cast the dark and the stars away and make way for the amazing blue sky that perfectly matched his eyes. Nakago sensed stirring in the palace, found it best to make his way back to his bed chambers and put on his armor.
The palace had always felt constricting to him. It was the kind of environment that made it hard to breathe, hard to think, and hard to work in. Thank Seiryuu that being shogun meant he was rarely in the retched place. He was always being sent on some mission or other by the fat, slobbering, pig of an emperor. And now, being at war with Konan and racing to call Seiryuu, Nakago barely had to time to eat during the day.
"Nakago-sama."
He paused, turned to the page that cowered against the wall. "Hai?"
"Heika-sama wants to see you as soon as possible."
Nakago nodded, his only dismissal to the boy. He continued back to his rooms, changed clothes quickly, and walked to the throne room. The guards moved aside without question, allowing Nakago to enter.
The shogun dropped to one knee in front of the emperor. "Hai, heika-sama?"
The emperor of Kutou grinned down at Nakago. He dreadfully missed the presence of the teen-age boy that used to warm his bed every night, but he knew that Nakago's talents were better off being used as the commander of his army.
"I have a mission for you, Nakago. You will take the seishi, and go to Hokkan to retrieve the shinzaho from the Genbu temple."
Nakago nodded firmly. *Any chance to get away from you.* he thought. "We will leave at noon," he assured the emperor.
"Good," he said. "And, Nakago," he added. "Do not fail me. The Suzaku seishi and their miko are already on their way. I hope they will not prove to be a problem?"
Nakago shook his head. "Iie. I will deal with them accordingly."
"Very well." A slight wave of his hand, and Nakago knew he was to go. He rose from his position on the floor and left the throne room. He had much to do in the few hours before noon.
An image of the girl from the dream flashed into his head, but he shoved it into the back of his mind angrily.
???
"Nakago, why do we have to Hokkan? Didn't you tell me it's cold there?"
*Each time she speaks, I get a worse and worse headache,* he thought. "Yui- sama, we need to get the shinzaho so you can call Seiryuu."
Yui groaned. "Why do I have to call Seiryuu anyway? It's not like he's _MY_ god."
Nakago knelt in front of the priestess, covered her hand with his. "Yui- sama, all I want is for you to be happy. You want Tamahome, right? Calling Seiryuu is the only way to make him yours forever."
He watched in fascination as Yui's mood changed. "Do you really think it will work?"
"Hai, Yui-sama. We must not let the Suzaku shichiseishi obtain the shinzaho." He nearly smiled as Yui's brown eyes changed from blank and expressionless to sheer determination.
"You're right. We need to get it."
Nakago softened his face, pulled Yui into a hug. "All right. We're leaving at noon. I'll leave you to get ready."
He departed the miko's chambers, relieved to be away from the girl. Personally, Nakago could not stand to be around her. She always acted so helpless, and whined constantly that Miaka had Tamahome and she didn't. In fact, she whined about everything. It was so damned annoying having to be by her side at all times.
Nakago turned the corner, was greeted by Soi, who almost immediately attached herself to his arm. "Nakago, you left my room so early last night. Were you tired?"
"Soi, distance yourself from me. I have other matters to attend to before we leave."
The young girl backed away, a hurt expression on her face. "Nakago." she whispered.
He turned to her. "We're leaving in about an hour, Soi. Go make sure Tomo and Suboshi are ready. We've already wasted enough time."
Leaving without waiting for an answer, Nakago returned to his bed chambers to gather his maps. He picked up his saddle bag, checked to make sure his journal and ink supplies were in it, and packed a few extra clothes. He was outside loading his horse when the others showed up.